The Biggest Hiring Mistake You’re Making

One of the biggest challenges IT hiring managers face in today’s market is a lack of skilled talent. When a candidate finally arrives who checks off most of the skills on your wish list, it is natural to want to make them an offer. However, hiring for skills alone can be a mistake. While skills and experience shouldn’t be ignored, they should be only part of the equation. If you’re not hiring with culture in mind, you are setting up yourself – and your new employee – for failure.

Candidates Value Culture

If you think corporate culture is just a buzzword, think again. Candidates and employees put emphasis on culture when weighing job offers. According to a survey by Deloitte, 88 percent of employees view culture as an indicator of organizational success. Because they feel so strongly, culture recently overtook traditional benefits in terms of importance when considering an offer from a potential employer.

Cultural Alignment is a Critical Success Factor

Skills are extremely important when evaluating IT candidates, but improper cultural alignment leads to disengagement and lack of productivity. If, for example, your company culture is laid back and egalitarian, someone who has worked for 15 years in Fortune 100 environments that are corporate, stuffy and hierarchical will experience massive culture shock at your organization. They may have the skills to succeed, but if they are uncomfortable with the culture, they cannot and will not produce their best work, nor will they feel happy where they are.

Cultural alignment also matters for group dynamics and teamwork. Any time a new IT team member arrives, it changes the way the group functions. Someone who is culturally aligned with the organization is more likely to fit in with the team; therefore, they will begin to make valuable contributions more quickly than someone whose values and personality clashes with the team.

Cultural Alignment Improves Retention

In today’s IT market, turnover is rampant. Employers of all sizes and in all industries struggle to retain top talent. One of the most effective ways to combat turnover is to hire with culture in mind. Employees who aren’t aligned are less engaged and less productive than their co-workers, but they are also more likely to look for new employment.

Factors like salary, benefits, bonuses and paths for development are important pieces of the puzzle, but money and growth mean nothing if a person doesn’t enjoy coming to work each day or they don’t believe in the organization they work for. Hiring for cultural fit increase the chances a candidate will thrive.

Are You Looking for Tech Talent in Chicago?

If you are looking for IT talent in the Chicago area and you want to improve your hiring processes for cultural alignment, CultureFit can help. Our recruiters can connect you with skilled IT pros who will thrive in your culture. Contact us today to learn more about the ways CultureFit can help you achieve your goals.